The invention concerns a refuelling robot, having a robot tower which is linearly displaceable on a plinth portion and can be swivelled about a vertical axis and from which a robot arm extends, the arm can be swivelled about its axis and having a filling nozzle at its free end. Such a robot may typically be employed on a fuel station forecourt to enable the automated refuelling of vehicles, and one such robot is disclosed in DE-A-42 42 243.
It is the purpose of the invention to improve the fuel-line arrangement extending between a pump housing, which is disposed in the plinth portion, and the filling nozzle in such a manner that all current types of fuel may be conveyed to the filling nozzle, whilst reducing expenditure on fuel lines.
According to the present invention there is provided a refuelling robot including a robot tower, which is linearly displaceable on a plinth portion and can be swivelled about a vertical axis, from which tower a robot arm extends, which arm can swivel about its axis and carries at its free end a filling nozzle, wherein separate and at least partially flexible fuel lines associated with respective different types of fuel are provided as far as the robot arm, wherein at least some of the fuel lines being combined immediately before their transition to the robot arm such that they share a common flow path through at least part of the robot arm.
Essentially, the object is achieved by the provision of, for different types of fuel, separate, partially flexible fuel lines as far as the robot arm, at least some of these individual lines being joined immediately prior to their transition to the robot arm. This transition will in most cases involve continuing the combined line inside the arm, though it is conceivable to run the combined line outside the arm. In this respect it is advantageous if, prior to this transition, all petrol fuel lines are combined into a single line. It is advantageous if the individual fuel lines for diesel-type fuel are continued either as separate items or also as one item, to prevent cross-contamination with petrol. Where the diesel lines are continued as a single line, there will be only two fuel lines in the robot arm: one for petrol, the other for diesel. Both these lines are continued as far as the filling nozzle, where they combine to form the nozzle pipe which empties after the refuelling process.
The combining of the fuel lines immediately ahead of the robot arm preferably takes place in a manifold, which accepts the individual lines in the form of hoses. These lines have C-shaped curvatures within the tower to provide slack so that the robot arm can be moved up and down vertically by a certain amount along an outer wall of the robot tower. It is also possible for the robot tower to rotate through, in total, 180xc2x0 in order to serve two refuelling sites situated one opposite the other. The robot tower may move linearly in a horizontal plane on the plinth portion, for which purpose the individual hoses in the plinth portion lie curved in a xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d shape, thereby providing slack. Preferably the filling nozzle, which is disposed at the free end of the robot arm, is rotatable about an axis which is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the robot arm. At the joints between the robot tower and the robot arm or between the robot arm and the filling nozzle, fuel is conveyed through rotary lead through elements, these elements containing at least one radial inlet and at least one axial outlet.